Seafood Sustainability Guide
Make ocean-friendly choices. Learn which seafood is sustainable, healthy, and good for the planet.
Well-managed, abundant, and caught or farmed responsibly
Some concerns with fishing methods or population
Overfished, poorly managed, or high environmental impact
Best Choices
Sustainable, well-managed seafood options
Wild Alaska Salmon
Oncorhynchus spp.
Wild Alaska salmon is one of the most sustainable and nutritious seafood choices available. These fish are caught in carefully managed Alaskan waters where stocks are abundant and well-protected.
Pacific Sardines
Sardinops sagax
Sardines are small, oily fish that are incredibly nutritious and sustainable. They reproduce quickly, are low on the food chain, and are caught using methods with minimal environmental impact.
Farmed Mussels
Mytilus edulis
Farmed mussels are among the most sustainable seafood choices. They filter water as they feed, actually improving water quality. No feed is required, and farming has minimal environmental impact.
Alaska Pollock
Gadus chalcogrammus
Alaska pollock is one of the largest and best-managed fisheries in the world. It's the fish commonly used in fish sticks and fast-food fish sandwiches, and it's a great sustainable choice.
Pacific Oysters
Crassostrea gigas
Farmed oysters are one of the most sustainable seafood choices. Like mussels, they filter water and improve water quality. Oyster farming actually benefits the marine environment.
Rainbow Trout (Farmed)
Oncorhynchus mykiss
U.S. farmed rainbow trout is raised in clean, freshwater raceways with minimal environmental impact. It's an excellent sustainable alternative to salmon.
Good Alternatives
Acceptable options with some sustainability concerns
Avoid These
Overfished or unsustainable - choose alternatives instead
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Thunnus thynnus
Atlantic bluefin tuna is severely overfished. The high demand for sushi-grade tuna has decimated populations. Choose skipjack or pole-caught albacore instead.
Imported King Crab
Paralithodes camtschaticus
Avoid imported king crab from Russia. These fisheries have poor oversight and significant IUU (illegal, unreported, unregulated) fishing issues. Choose Alaska king crab when available, or consider Dungeness crab.
Orange Roughy
Hoplostethus atlanticus
Orange roughy is severely overfished worldwide. Their slow reproduction (some don't mature until 30 years old) makes population recovery extremely slow. Avoid completely.
Check Any Seafood Instantly
Use our interactive tool to check sustainability of any seafood.
Open Seafood Checker